Wardrobe-trunk



(No Modem 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Z. D. HINKLEY. WARDROBB TRUNK.

* Patented Nov. 16, 1886.

ATTORNEYS.

' N, PETERS. PholmLmwgrzph r Wnllunioll. D C

yUNITED STATES "PATENT OFFICE. v

ZALMON D. HINKLEY, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

wARD'RoBE-TRUNK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 352,824l dated November 16, 1886.

Application filed March 25,1886. Serial No. 196.576. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. ZALMON D. HINKLEiQa citizen of the United States, residing at Grand;

Rapids, inthe county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Convertible Trunks and Wardrobes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

The object of my invention is to construct ak trunk capable at pleasure of being readily con- I verted into a wardrobe, and which may with constitute such partitions and tills as are cony venient, and which, by the employment of suitease and in a few minutes be restored to its original form 5 and to this end it consists in providing a traveling trunk with suitable folding and separate parts,which,when in po-1 sition in the trunk in its customary form,shall able hinges, locks, and fastenings, may be held readily in place, both in the trunk proper and when disposed in such :relations to the fixed parts as to constitute the wardrobe.

In the accompanying drawings,in which corresponding parts are represented by similar letters,Figure l is a perspective of the trunk, showing it open. Fig. 2 is a vertical longi-` tudinal section of the trunk,showing the'various parts in their normal position.

Fig. 3 represents a front elevation of the trunk when used as a wardrobe; Fig. 4, a view of the hat` box unfolded, showing its outside; Fig. 5, perspective view of wardrobe with top removed Fig. 6, back view of wardrobe, showing shelf attached in hooked position and details' of stay and hook; and Fig. 7 shows a different form' of connection for the side pieces of the wardrobe.

The trunk is in the usual form, having its front A, back B,'bottom, and one end, C, se-v curely fastened together, and havinga top, E,

secured by hinges to the back inthe custom-Y extending their whole height and 4firmly secured by=riveting. v On the two ends, at their edges, are alsoisecured by riveting straps of more partitions, which stiffen it and makek spaces for boxes ofvarious kinds, or which may be left open at pleasure.` The entire lid is bound by an iron strap `at the part which joins the top of thetrunk proper, this strap lap and protect the upper edges.

are of the ordinary kind.

On the inside of the right-hand end piece of vthe lid is secured, so as. to turn freely on its pivot, a strip or catchmetal plate, which,when' the lid is raised, projects forward and downward, passing through a flat staple in the inside and near the rear of the right-hand or fixed end of the trunk. This strip of iron is fashioned into a kind of hook, as shown in the drawings, on its upper edge, so that as the lid swinging on its pivot. Aspace between thehat` `box and the end of the trunk allows it to play without danger to the contents. The other end, D, of the tru nk'is not xed, but is lsecured by hinges to the bottom and closes against the ends of the front .and back, where it is held in place by spring-catches, to be hereinafter described. The hinges are strap hingesreversed, for a' purpose hereinafter explained. Adjacent to the fixed end of the trunk is the hatbox M, resting on cleats upon the front and back, and secured to the end by interlocking hooks m m on either part, as shown in Fig. 2. This hat-box consists of four sides, M MZ M3 M, without ends, all hingedtogether, and one of them, M4, forming the lid, as clearly shown in the section, Fig. 2. ,Further uses of these parts will be hereinafter set forth. Across the inside of the trunk, at the level with the bottom of the hat-box, isa board, H, which forms a partition in the till, and serves as a brace or support to stiffen the trunkfbody. It is held in place by a button, h, which engages with a suitable slit in the hat-box side, andat theA other end rests upon acleat on the hinged end D of the trunk-body, being held downward by rool :c being held rigidly by the partition-board H,

the edges of which press firmly against them. These have no function in connection with the trunk proper, except to hold the hat-box in place and strengthen the thin sides of the 5 trunk, but are an important element in its conversion into a wardrobe, as is now to be de scribed. These boards L L', when the hinged trunk end D is opened out, can also be opened outward, (being jointed at their middle to al- :o low this,) and, the trunk being now set upon its xed end, are of the same height as the hinged end, so that the three parts form an elongation of the trunk-body.

On the inside of the hinged end, at its top,

r 5 are two angle-irons, 1, having square holes 2 in their projecting arms,which,while the trunk end was in its normal position, were caught by spring-catches 3, before referred to, on the front and back of the trunk. These catches ,o consist of simple strips of spring metal riveted to the wood, which is slightly recessed to allow play for their ends. They have hooks on their faces to engage the holes above described, and these hooks have inclined faces, so that 5 when the parts are forced together they shall yield and snap into their holding position.

wljrecisely similar snaps, as 4, are secured to the interior faces of the swinging leaves L L', and they engage the holes in the angle-ironsof the O. trunk end in the same way. On the trunk end, midway of its height and opposite the joints in the swinging leaves, are two projecting lugs, 5, of iron, which embrace these leaves, and in connection with the snap-hooks combine to 5 hold rigidly together the various parts now being described. On the interior of the hinged end D, which may now be called the upper back of the wardrobe, is a kind of hook, 6, the shape of o which is clearly shown in sectional Fig. 2. Also, on the inner sides of each of the folding leaves, which constitute what may be called the upper sides7 of the wardrobe, are three iron locking-pieces, 7, arranged at the top and 5 at the front above and below the joint. These pieces are of the form shown most clearly in Fig. 5, being broader at their inner part and narrower at their outer. They are secured by rivets to the wood, and at their outer ends are o sprung away, so as to stand a little off from the Wood and form tongues.

Referring now to Fig. 4, m is a iiat piece of strap-iron or similar material rigidly secured to that part of `the hat-box which, when in 5 place in the trunk, was adjacent to the fixed endG. This piece of metal is bent forward with a downward inclination, forming a hook,

This partition abuts di! and was used to engage a somewhat similar hook,` m', upon the fixed endl of the trunk, whereby the parts were held together. On the same part of the hat-box, and also on the part M2 adjacent thereto, are iron straps 8, securely riveted to the wood, and having offsets which embrace metal U-shaped pieces 9, having outwardly projecting ends, as shown. These pieces swing. freely in the offsets, and may lie flat against the wood. Their purpose in the wardrobe is to serve as hooks for clothing, the parts to which they areattached forming the top of the wardrobe, as will presently appear. These pieces fall by gravity, and the outward proj eeting ends form hooks. They may be used in greater or less number, as desired. Instead Vof offsets on the iron plates by which they are secured, straight plates may be used and the wood recessed to receive the U-shaped pieces.

In the parts of the hat-box M'l M3 M4 recesses will be lobserved in their edges. These recesses are covered by the bent ends of fiat pieces of iron secured to the opposite side ofthe wood, (the inside when constituting the hatboX,) thus forming sockets which cor-y respond in number with the lugs or tongues 7,

heretofore described, on the upper sides of the wardrobe. On the piece M4, and in a position to be used as a handle when the piece is in position forming a lid to the hat-box, is a piece of metal, S, bent to the form shown in section in Fig. 2, and secured to the wood by a single rivet,on which it may be turned. Its position is such that when turned forward its outward end projects beyond the edge of the wood.

To put the parts just described in position to form the top and upper front of the wardrobe, the hook m on the piece M is made to engage the corresponding hook, m2, on the inside of the upper back. All the pieces M M2, Ste., are of awidth to be inserted and fit closely between the upper sides. When-these hooks are engaged,the pieces M M2 are pressed into place between the upper sides, when the tongue or lugs before described enter the recesses in the piece M, and the parts MaM being now bent downward, the tongues at `the front of the upper sides enter the recesses in these parts, and by this means the sides are.

held from spreading and all the parts are held rmly in place. If the lid (now serving as a door) be now closed,the strap on its edge will enter the groove or square recess in the piece S on the part M, and thereby secure it against opening, unless the door is first opened.

On the left side of the wardrobe and on the part A are two metal straps, a', so bent as to form sockets, and on the upper back, D,on its outside, is a projecting headed lug, d. These are for the attachment of a shelf or table,as will now be described. For this I use the partition H, which has attachments for this purpose, as fol1ows:` At the same end as the button h, but on the opposite side, (the bottom when in the trunk,) I place two pieces of` IIO strap-iron, the ends of which are bent downward at a right angle, vforming hooks kadapted tol enter the above-named sockets. On the same side of the board H, and at kits edge near its other end, isahook, h, of the form shown in the drawings, being generally of an oval form,

buthaving a dovetail recessin one side, the bottom of which,when in holding position,is parallel to the edge of the board. I provide 'a piece of iron, K, of suitable length, in one end of which I place a keyhole-shaped slot adapt'- ed to pass over and be held upon the lug d on the back D. The other end of this piece K is formed'into a kind of hook, as shown. The

` hooked ends of the pieces h being inserted in the sockets a', and the rod k being placed in the lug d, its hooked end uppermost, this hooked end is clasped in the dovetail notch of the hook h2, and the parts are thus locked together, and the 'board H is securely held in horizontal position. It will be observed that by this structure I form a trunk securely braced inside in all drections,and in which all parts adapted for use in the Wardrobe are either useful or are so disposed as to occupy a minimum of space. When connected into awardrobe,the entire interior is clear of all obstructions and the structure is completely closed against interference by a single lock.

I sometimes prefer to use a different form of upper sides, as follows: In place of hinging these leaves to the front and back of the trunk, I form the front and back at their ends as shownin Fig. 7, in which A represents the end of the front, rabbeted as shown at u. On the inside of the board A, I secure a strap or plate of iron, w, bent at an angle, as shown,

' and the edge of the bent part passing partly over the rabbet. The cleat is the same as in the other construction. I.Il represents the'part used in place of the folding leaf. It is a-plain` board, since the other attachments do not differ from those in my other form, and has on it a plate similar to that on the board A, but oppositely arranged so that the two angle edges may hook together. As the cleat prevents them being thus hooked, they must be put together by sliding one into the other, when they are rigidly held together,'as shown. These pieces I? shouldbe of the same size as the hinged pieces L L', and may occupy the same portion of the trunk. Y The partition-board H should have some means for removing it. it perforated at the end adjacent to the hinged end of the trunk and a knotted cord passed through it. It is removed by compressing the spring-latch d4 and lifting it by the cord.

The strap-hinges 'by which the end D is se-` cured to the bottom are not put on in the usual way, in whichthe joint projects beyond the surface of the parts to which the parts of the hinge are attached, but are reversed, and the wood recessed to receive the joint. By this means the joint is protected and the appearance of the trunk is much improved, and in The drawings show addition the abutting edges of the hinged parts are brought closely together, so that the space which would be left were the hinges placed in the ordinary way is done away with andthe joint rendered dust-proof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is v l. In a combined'trunk and wardrobe, the combination of the trunk-body having one of its ends hinged at its lower edge and adapted to be turned outward to serve as the back of the upper portion of the wardrobe, and the leaves whereby to form the sides of the upper portion of the wardrobe, and adjustable into and out of the trunk,and devices, substantially as described, for adjustably connecting said leaves to the trunk, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, in a combinedtrunk and wardrobe, and with the trunk-body, of the hat-box, formed of hinged sections and adapted to be folded and incased within the trunkbody and be adjusted by means substantially as described, for use in connection with the extension constituting a part of the wardrobe, substantially as set forth. y n

3. In a combined trunk and wardrobe, the combination, with the trunk provided with hook m', of the hat-box, formed in sections and adapted to be adjusted for use in connection with .the extension constituting 'a part of the wardrobe, and a hook, m,'secured to said box and arranged to engage hook m when the box is incased within the trunk, substantially as set forth.

4. The combinatiou, with the trunk-body, the leaves adapted to form the sides of the upper part of the wardrobe, and the sectional hat-box, of the partitionpiece'H, whereby to hold the side pieces in place in the trunk and to form a brace for the whole structure, and a button pivoted to the partition and arranged to engage the box, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of the main body or framing, having sockets a, the piece H, having hooks arranged to enter the sockets a', a hook, h2, connected with the piece H, and la rod connected at one end with the body or framing, and having its other end detachably connectedwit-h hook h2, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of the trunk-body having sections or portions adapted to form the IIO' provided betweensaid box and its4 opposite end with side pieces or leaves, and having suitable fastenings for connecting the latter to the trunk-sides, whereby the trunk may be converted into a wardrobe, and a horizontal partition, H, substantially as set forth. A

8. The combination of the parts M M2 M3 M," having the hooks, recesses, and the swinging latch to form the top mid upper front 'oa said e'nd'piece tothe sides of the trunk or to4 1o wardrobe and to be locked by the closing of the leaves,` which form the upper side pieces the door. of Jche Wardrobe, in the different positions of 9. In a combined trunk and wardrobe, the said end piece and leaves7 substantially as seb combination, with the side pieces of the trunk forth. and the hinged end Auhereof, of the leaves adapt-ed to serve as the upper side pieces of the Wardrobe, and adjustably connected with the trunk, and latch devices, whereby to secure l ZALMON D. HINKLEY. [L. s] Witnesses:

'I-I. F. MGCORMICK, ANNA E. Cox. 

